This disclosure relates to computer networks in general, and in particular, to apparatus and methods for efficiently and automatically detecting functional defects and performance bottlenecks in home and small business computer networks.
Although most network devices are subject to some quality assurance (QA) testing before being shipped to customers, their relatively high complexities, coupled with the almost unlimited number of ways in which they can be integrated into networks by users, makes it relatively difficult for the developers of the devices to ensure that they have been exhaustively tested, especially under urgent time-to-market pressures. Further, each of the myriad of possible user applications of the devices takes time to simulate, setup, generate and verify.
Thus, when end-users deploy a particular network device within their network, they often discover that the device does not function according to their expectations in terms of functional behavior and/or performance, and this disappointment can generate a large number of requests for technical support. Moreover, during manufacturer-provided technical support sessions, it is often difficult for the remotely located technical support personnel to understand and replicate exactly the particular end-user application so as to provide the most effective customer support, especially if the user is not technically sophisticated, which is often the case for home users and small business entities lacking information technology (IT) expertise. This situation can result in a large volume of customer complaints, and in many cases, issuance of unnecessary return-to-manufacturer authorizations (RMAs) by the manufacturer of the device.